Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-12
ARTIS HANGED.
EXECUTION OF A BRUTAL CRIMINAL
IN NORTH CAROLINA.
History Of the Crime-The Bearing Of
Artis-0the North Caro-
lima News.
lspocIal telegrnm % the pIsp..ch.l

was calm as he went TO the scaiIOid,
which he ascended and faced the spec
tators. He spoke very briefly. His
only words were these My petition
is, Save me, Lord Jesus. know
nothing of the crime that committed.
j only know that whiskey brought me
here"
At 11:43 the drop was sprung. Artiss
neck was broken. Death came without
struggle. There were only few con-
vulsive quivers of the muscles. Once
the feet were drawn up slightly. In
twelve minutes there was no sign OF
pulse. In fifteen minutes the body was
cut down. Several hundred people
witnessed the execution besides those
legally entitled to do SO. Though
great crowd of people was in town
there was little excitement and good
order was maintained.
November 9Th last, near Fremont, in
Wayne county, Arts committed the
murder. His victim was his step
daughter. Louisa Dickerson, aged six
teen years. He was man of violent
temper, and his treatment of the girl
was often brutal in the extreme. On
the day in question the girl made him
angry by some trivial fault, and when
he attempted to beat her she tried to
escape. She was speedily oyertaken
and whipped. The night OF the same day
Artiss anger against the girl assumed n
yiolentfoIm. He seized an axe and dealt
several powerful blows upon the head,
nearly cutting off the upper part of the
head. He was soon captured, and in
January last was tried at GoldsbOro'.
| The jury was composed of six white
men and six negroes. The trial occu-
pied two days. The jury, soon after
being charged, returned o verdict of
guilty Of murder Arts was sentenced
to be hanged March 1st. There were
pressing appeals to the Governor for
respite, it being alleged that there was
evidence favorable to the prisoner, so
Governor Scales granted respite until
to-dny. The evidence proved to be
worthless and the Governor refused to
interfere further.
Arts was about thirty-fye years
of age, very tall, rather spare,
but very muscular. During the
trial he was very unconcerned. During
his confinement in jail after the death
sentence he was at first very quiet. He
said he trusted in the Lord and didnot
fear to die. He said he was drunk when
he committed the crime and had no
recollection of it. He declared that he
did not recover consciousness until he
found himself in the guard-house at
Fremont The next morning after the
murder. Later Arts became very wild
and pretended to be insane. At mid
night he would tear off all his clothing
and yell and rave in the most frightful
manner. while he attempted to dash out
his brains against the walls of his steel
cell.
The gallows on which Artis was
hanged was on the east side of the Jail
ward within the inclosure. The drop
was six feet.
TIE CRAvEN-COUSTY CASES.
The Board of Canvassers Of Craven
county are TO be tried by the Federal
Court for alleged fraudulent methods
in their canvass of the votes in the cleo
ton there last autum. This is the case
which the Legislature discussed at such
length, and which resulted in the UNI
seating Of the Democratic Senator and
Representative.
THE CROATAN INDIANS.
About this title less is known, per
haps, than of another in this county !;
vet it is well preserved, its blood being
remarkably pure. Nearly all its mem
bers live in Robeson county. The State
has Just granted them "a normal school.
There are said to be some 1000 in the
tribe.
| THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEGE.
Surveyors to-day made survey OF
the lands presented to the State as
site for the Agricultural and Mechanical
College. 1t is the intention to begin
work on the college at very early day.
Captain John Is. Burwell, one of the
principals Of Peace Institute, in this
city, is dangerously ill. His condition
tonight is reported to be critical.
Allison Speaks was to-day brought to
the penitentiary from Iredell county.
He is under sentence for life, and would
have been hanged on the 18th instant,
but the sentence was commuted. He
threw a stone at man, but it struck
another on the head and killed him.
| FIRE.
Pioli Halls barns and stables, near
Mt. Give, Wayne county, were set on
fire night before last by an incendiary
and, with all the contents, totally de
stroyed. A negro lad eighteen years OF
age, who was asleep in the barn, was
burned to death. He was in the habit
of sleeping in the straw. His charred
remains were found in the ruins.
John Dixon, an aged and well-tO-do
citizen of Pitt county, was found dead
in his bed yesterday morning. He had
died Of heaIt-disease during the night.
NEWS soT2s.
The Colored State Industrial Associa-
tion was given 81 900 for It's annual fair
by a special act Of the last Legislature.
The success Of the mills here for the
preparation OF fertilizers from North
Carolina phosphates is so marked that
other mills are sure to be erected. The
mills now run day and night, and
| Messrs. Hawkins 4 Wilson, the pro-
prietors, say they turn ont seventy-fve
tons every twenty-four hours. There
is a demand for the fertilizer greater
| than can be met.
The cotton-seed oil-mills here are now
turning out fifty-five tons daily of ferti-
lizer, and, like the phosphate-mills,
cannot keep pace with the demand.
There is a growing increase in the
use of homemade fertilizers, very no.
ticeable this year, which it is thought
will result in diminishing considerably
the receipts from taxes on licenses.
From these taxes the Department Of
Agriculture, the Agricultural and Me-
chanical College, and the Bureau Of
Labor Statistics all have TO be sup
| ported.
To-day the State officers burned
| s2OO, 600 of old State bonds in the
Treasury Department.